Floor Exercise: Biles Wins 4th Gold, Raisman Gets Silver

Published August 16, 2016•Updated on August 16, 2016 at 11:24 pm

Simone Biles bounced and soared her way to a fourth Olympic gold medal, winning the floor exercise on Tuesday.

A day after Biles got bronze on the balance beam after she had to steady herself, she turned in a characteristically athletic, graceful routine at the Rio Olympic Arena, earning a 15.966.

Aly Raisman won silver with a sterling routine that appeared to be among her best efforts, including a perfect double layout. She got a low-seeming 15.500, but it was enough to stay ahead of Britain's Amy Tinkler, who got bronze with 14.933.

Biles was aiming to become the only woman with five gold medals in gymnastics at a single Olympics. Instead, she'll return home with merely four golds and a bronze — a rich haul for one of the best gymnasts in history.

Her final act was perhaps her greatest. On legs she joked felt like rocks, Biles put together 90 seconds of effortless joy. Her ceiling scraping tumbling and charismatic dancing — set to Brazilian-themed music designed for exactly this moment — ended with her bouncing off the mat before sprinting to the awaiting arms of longtime coach Aimee Boorman.

The two embraced, their journey that began when Biles was 6 ending — at least for now — with history.

"I think that she was really consistent, that was a big thing for her," Boorman said. "That was the goal. Not to come in and win five golds but to show what she trained."

Raisman, who won gold on the floor in London, now has six Olympic medals, second only to Shannon Miller's seven among Americans.

She could add to her haul — for now, Tokyo 2020 remains in play. "Maybe I'm getting better with age," Raisman said.

The men were also wrapping up their individual events.

Danell Leyva won two silver medals, on high bar and parallel bars, Tuesday.

Leyva went last on the bar and his score pushed teammate Sam Mikulak out of a bronze medal.

Oleg Verniaiev of Ukraine, who came in second to Kohei Uchimura in the men's all-around, won gold on parallel bars. Russia's David Belyavsky won the bronze medal.

Verniaiev, who came in second to Kohei Uchimura by 0.099 of a point after leading for most of the men's all-around, finally got his gold. He received his medal from retired Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergey Bubka, an IOC member.

Germany's Fabian Hambeuchen won gold on the high bar, while Britain's Nile Wilson got bronze.